Another suspected swine flu case in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, June 17 (IANS) A man, who arrived here Wednesday from Kuwait, was admitted to a hospital in this Andhra Pradesh capital with suspected symptoms of swine flu, officials said. The 24-year-old was found with suspected symptoms during the mandatory screening of all international air passengers at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here. He was quarantined and taken straight to the Government General and Chest Hospital, the nodal centre to deal with swine flu.

Doctors said the man was under observation and his throat and nasal swabs were sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi. They are also waiting for the results of the tests of two other persons now under observation.

The city has so far reported 13 confirmed swine flu cases, the highest in India. The total number of cases in the country stands at 31.

K. Subhakar, coordinator, HINI influenza nodal centre, said the condition of the six patients undergoing treatment here was stable.

A nine-year-old boy who came from the US June 14 was tested positive for HINI influenza Tuesday.

Subhakar said six people infected with H1N1 virus were under treatment at the Government General and Chest Hospital. Seven people were treated and discharged from the facility during last one month.

The infected include a 20-month-old boy and a six-year-old girl, who came from New York. They are among the patients undergoing treatment.

All patients, except one, came from abroad. The lone local person found infected without travelling abroad contracted the virus from his brother, a techie who had come from Philadelphia.

Officials said 54 people were so far brought to the hospital with suspected swine flu symptoms and 13 of them were tested positive.